“Why? Why would he do that?”
Did he think she would hold contempt for him? Did she? As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t hold Malcolm at fault for doing his job.
Her brother had a job to do as well. And he didn’t do it. As much as she loved her brother, she could not condone his actions. They were wrong, and he paid the ultimate price. Just the same as anyone else had they been caught doing such things.
That didn’t make Malcolm a horrible person. It made him strong. Loyal.
“We must go to Culzean, then.”
“Lizzie,” her mother said. “We think it best that we stay here. Give ye time to ponder about all ye’ve learned.”
And that was when the anger hit her. It wasn’t anger at Malcolm. Nay, rather her ire was aimed at her parents.
“None of this would have happened if ye’d just told me the truth from the start. Why would ye keep such information from me?”
“’Twas for your benefit.” Papa stood and placed his hands on her shoulders, but she shrugged them off.
“Nay,” she shook her head. “Ye dinna get to tell me what is best for me. Ye dinna get to make those decisions. I am a grown woman. I am no’ a wee lass who doesn’t understand the world in which we live. The cruelty of it.” She pushed back from the table, her appetite suddenly lost. “I will be in my room.”
She ran from the dining hall, swiping at the tears that fell like raindrops in a spring sky. How could her parents not have enough trust in her to think she wouldn’t be able to handle the truth?
That betrayal hurt almost as bad as finding out the truth about Angus.
But above everything, she wouldn’t, couldn’t, hold Malcolm accountable. Out of everyone at play in this whole charade, he was the least culpable.
